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Russian Orthodox Church 'cuts ties' with Constantinople

Russia's Orthodox Church has severed ties with the Constantinople Patriarchate, the leader of the worldwide Orthodox community. The move comes after it granted independence to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from Moscow.

A spokesman for Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, said he hopes the dispute over churches in Ukraine will not lead to conflicts and clashes.

Last week, Hilarion warned that parishioners will not hand over churches to a new Orthodox institution willingly, according to Russian news agencies cited by France's AFP agency. "Of course, people will take to streets and protect their sacred sites."

First step towards independence

In September, Istanbul-based Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople sent two bishops to Ukraine in what was said to be a step towards the formal recognition of an independent church there. The move will likely lead to two parallel Orthodox churches, one under the auspices of the Moscow church and the other under Constantinople.

The Ukraine Orthodox Church has been part of the Moscow Patriarchate's orbit for hundreds of years. However, since Moscow's 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine, many Ukrainian parishes have rejected the Kremlin-backed Moscow Patriarchate. Ukraine formed a separate church and had been pushing for its recognition.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is expected to make independence from the Russian Orthodox Church a key issue as he plans a re-election bid in the 2019 Ukrainian presidential vote.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas

'Badnjak' ceremony in Serbia

A Serbian Orthodox priest attends the ceremonial burning of oak tree branches, or badnjak, on Christmas Eve outside the St. Sava church in Belgrade. The ceremony is accompanied by prayers and other rites and is widespread among Orthodox Christians in the Balkans.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas

Putin attends mass

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a Christmas liturgy at a St. Petersburg church on January 6. Russia has the largest Orthodox population, which celebrates Christmas according to the Julian calendar.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas

Orthodox celebrations in Bethlehem

Palestinian scout bagpipers perform ahead of Orthodox Christmas celebrations outside the Church of Nativity in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem. The bagpipe-playing Christian scouts are a legacy of British colonialism in the Holy Land.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas

Epiphany day in Istanbul

Greek Orthodox men braved the cold waters of the Golden Horn in Istanbul to commemorate Jesus' baptism on Epiphany. In the ceremony, men jump from boats to fetch a cross thrown in the water. The Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch is considered the leading church among nearly a dozen autocephalous Orthodox churches.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas

Epiphany in Bulgaria

Orthodox Christians in Bulgaria commemorate the baptism of Jesus with Epiphany day celebrations. More than 7,000 people in the Bulgarian town of Kalofer sang and danced in and around the river Tundzha. Orthodox priests throw crosses into the river that are retrieved by men.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas

Egypt's el-Sissi supports Copts

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi (R) speaks next to Coptic Pope Tawadros II during a Christmas Eve mass in Cairo. Egypt's Coptic Christians have been under attack from Islamist militants, whom al-Sissi, a Muslim, has vowed to crush.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas

Copts in Athens

Coptic Christian women in Athens, Greece, celebrate Orthodox Christmas at a church. There are about 10 million Coptic Christians in Egypt, and an estimated 1 million spread across Africa, Europe and North America.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas

Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia

After Russia, Ethiopia has the second-largest Orthodox Christian population with nearly 36 million adherents. The Ethiopian Orthodox church was founded in the early 4th century when the Axumite Kingdom converted to Christianity.